Guard attachment for claw hammer



March 24, 1959 F. J. LORETITSCH v 7 GUARD ATTACHMENT FOR CLAW HAMMER Filed Jan. 25, 1957 i aZZo reiiiscib INVENTOR v 7: BY I w ATTORNEYS United GUARD ATTACHMENT FOR CLAW HAMMER Ferdinand J. Loretitsch, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Application January 23, 1957, Serial No. 635,832

1 Claim. (Cl. 254-26) This invention relates to a guard attachment for a claw hammer.

An object of this invention is to provide an attachment in the form of a guard for mounting on the front portion of a claw hammer whereby nails may be pulled without marring the wood. 1

Another object of this invention is to provide an attachment for a hammer which includes a metal clip structure for detachably mounting on a hammer, with a rubber or yieldable covering for the clip.

A further object of this invention is to provide a guard attachment which is of simple construction or can be easily and quickly applied to or removed from a claw hammer.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts, hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a fragmentary side elevation partly in section showing a claw hammer with a guard attachment mounted thereon, constructed according to an embodiment of this invention, the attachment being shown in longitudinal section.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral designates generally a handle which has mounted on the outer end thereof a claw hammer head generally indicated at 11. The hammer head 11 comprises a socket 12 within which the forward end of the handle 10 is firmly secured and the socket 12 has extending "from one side thereof a pair of claws 14 which have inwardly tapering inner edges 13. The socket 12 also has formed integral therewith an impact head 15 which is connected with the socket 12 by means of a round shank 16. The hammer structure hereinbefore described is conventional and is here shown as one form of claw hammer structure with which the attachment to be hereinafter described, may be incorporated.

The claw hammer head 11 has disposed on the forward or front side thereof a plate 17 which is longitudinally bent as indicated at 18, so as to conform to the curvature of the outer side of the claw structure 14. A closed loop 19 is formed integral with the end 2,879,030 Patented Mar. 24, 1959 2 18 of plate 17 and encircles the base or inner portion of the claw structure 14. As herein shown, the loop 19 is formed with parallel side walls 20 and a connecting wall 21 which is split in the center and is welded together as indicated at 22.

The plate 17 also has formed integral therewith a pair of spring fingers or clips 23 which are disposed adjacent the opposite end of plate 17 and are adapted to engage the round shank 16. The spring fingers 23 are outwardly bent as indicated at 24 so as to facilitate the insertion of the fingers 23 about the shank 16. The plate 17 is extended beyond the spn'ng fingers or clips 23 and is formed with an inwardly or rearwardly bent opposite end 25 which extends partly across the outer side of the impact head 15. The extension 25 is of tapered configuration with the small end thereof outermost and the extension 25 terminates at a point forwardly of the longitudinal center of the impact head 15.

The plate 17 has vulcanized or otherwise firmly secured to the front or forward side thereof a yieldable rubber covering 26. This covering 26 extends over the entire area of plate 17 including rearwardly bent portions 18 and 25, as shown in Fig. 1. This covering 26 provides a cushioning means for cushioning the pressure exerted on the work 27 by the hammer head 11 during the pulling of nails 28 or the like. The impact head 15 may be used in the former manner for driving nails into wood and the guard extensions 25 will limit the driving of the nails into the wood so that when the extension 25 comes into contact with the work 27 further insertion of the nails can only be accomplished by use of a nail stud or the like.

In the use of this attachment the device is mounted on hammer head 11 by extending claws 14 through the loop 19 and moving the loop 19 rearwardly or toward the socket 12 until the spring fingers or clips 23 can be engaged about the shank 16. When a nail is being pulled from the work 27 hammer head 11 may rock against the surface of the work 27 and by reason of the cushioning element 26 the surface of the work 27 will not be marred or otherwise damaged by any pressure which may be exerted by the hammer head 11 in the pulling of the nail 28.

What is claimed is:

A guard attachment for a claw hammer having an inwardly extending handle portion, a shank and head portion and a claw portion, said attachment comprising a plate adapted for disposing at the opposite side from said handle portion, a closed loop carried by one end of said plate adapted to engage over the claws of the hammer, a pair of spring fingers carried by said plate adjacent the opposite end thereof and adapted to engage about said shank portion, a yieldable covering carried by the outer side of said plate and an inwardly bent portion carried by said opposite end of said plate adapted to engage over the head portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 800,305 Kitson Sept. 26, 1905 2,747,835 Belgard May 29, 1956 2,765,827 Hall Oct. 9, 1956 

